Fiber-cleaning machine.



PATBNTED MAR. 10, 1908.

0. SGHOFIELD FIBER CLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1907.

' mu: upRRls PETERS cm, wasmuor UNiTnn STATES PATENT onnion CHARLES SOHOFIELD, OF ,MPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIBER-CLEANING- MACHINE.

pickers which are usually employed for the purpose of separating lumps or other foreign substances from straight or clean fibers.

The object of my invention is to so construct such a machine as to improve the action of a certain retainer plate or block usually employed in connection with the toothed of sufficient of a machine of the class to which my inventionrelates to illustrate those portions of the machine forming the subject of my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the end portions of the retainer plate or block made in accordancewith my invention; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the controllers for said retainer block, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of my invention.

The machine to which my invention is ap plied comprises a toothed drum 1, carried by a shaft 2, which is adapted to bearings in suitable side frames of themachine and is provided with any appropriate means for efiecting its rotation, the machine also having a feed belt or apron 3, a pair of toothed feed rolls 4 and 5 rotated as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and a retainer plate or block 6, the latter having, at each end, a fork 7 resting upon the journal or body of the upper feed roll 5, and the inner face of this block 6 being curved to conform substantially with the path followed by the ends of the teeth of the drum 1, the purpose of the block being to press upon the points of the teeth the stock fed to the drum by the feed rolls 4. and 5. Usually, however, this retainer block is carried by arms pivoted to the side boards 7 of the feed table, and, when stock is being,

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented March 10, 1908.

Application filed September 3, 1907. Serial No. 391,143.

block-carrying arms, the result being that the block is swung away from the points of the drum teeth, and the stock is not properly guided to and pressed upon said teeth, with p the further result that the knots, lumps, or other foreign matters are not properly separated from the clean, straight fibers. With the view of overcoming this objection I provide each end of the block 6 with a plate 9, having an outwardly projecting pin 10 for engagement with a slot 11 in an arm 12 which is pivoted at 13 to one of the side plates of the machine, the latter being also provided with an opening for the passage of the pin 10, as shown in Fig. 1.

The up er or free end of the arm 12 has a segmentaiblot 14 for the reception of a clamping screw 15 with which the side plate of the.

machine is provided' When, therefore, the block 6 rises with the upper feed roll 5 upon the passage of stock between the feed rolls, the upper end of the block is, because of the guiding influence of the pin 10 and slot 11, caused to move in a curved path substantially parallel with the ends of the drum teeth, consequently the performance of its proper function by said block 6 is not affected by any rising or falling movements imparted to it.

The slotted upper end of each of the guide arms 12 permits of. such adjustment of the latter as'may be necessary in order to retain the inner face of the block in proper relation to the points of the drum teeth as said teeth become shortened through wear.

In order to properly weight the upper feed roller 5 I provide a boss 16 upon the flange 17 with which each of the plates 9 is provided and which serves as a means of securing said plate upon the block 6, each of the said bosses 16 having a projecting rod 19, upon which is adjustably mounted a weight 20, as shown in Fig. 2.

' While I prefer to provide each end of the block 6 with guiding and retaining devices of the character which I have described, it may be sufficient, in some cases, to provide such devices at one end of the block only, and instead of adapting the pin or other projection on the plate 9 to a slot in an adjustable arm on the side of the machine, such pin might enter a slot on the side plate of the frame, or the plate 9 might be slotted, as shown at 11 in Fig. 4, for the reception of a pin 10 projecting from the side plates of the machine or from a swinging and adjustable arm 12. thereon, as also shown in said figure.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a toothed rotating drum, feed rolls, and a retainer which is adjacent to the points of the drum teeth, par-takes of the rising and falling movements of the upper feed roll and is combined with means for maintaining it in proper relation to the teeth of the drum during such movements.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a toothed rotating drum, feed rolls, a retainer which is adjacent to the points of the drum teeth and partakes of the rising and falling movements of the upper feed roll, and a slot-and-pin guide for maintain ing said retainer in proper relation to the teeth of the drum during such movements.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a toothed rotating drum, feed rolls, a retainer which is adjacent to the points of the drum teeth and partakes of the rising and falling movements of the upper feed roll, and means adjustable from and towards the teeth of the drum, for maintaining the retainer in proper relation to said teeth during its rising and falling movements.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a toothed rotating drum, feed rolls, a retainer which is adjacent to the points of the drum teeth and partakes of the rising and falling movements of the upper feed roll, a slot-and-pin guide for maintaining said retainer in proper relation to the teeth of the drum durlng such movements and means for adjusting said guide from and towards the points of the teeth.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a toothed rotating drum, feed rolls, a retainer which is adjacent to the points of the drum teeth and. partakes of the rising and falling movements of the upper feed roll, a projection on said retainer, and a pivoted and adjustable arm having a slot for the reception of said proj'ectioi'i.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a toothed rotating drum, feed rolls, a retainer which is adjacent to the points of the drum teeth, acts upon the stock fed to the teeth of the drum by said rolls, and partakes of the up and down movements of the upper feed roll, and a Weight carried by said retainer.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a toothed rotating drum, feed rolls, a retainer which is adjacent to the points of the drum teeth, acts upon the stock fed to the teeth of the drum by said rolls, and partakes ot the up and down movements of the upper feed roll, a weight carried by the retainer, and means for maintaining said retainer in its proper relation to the teeth of the drum during its up and down movements.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES SCHOFI ELI Witnesses HAMILTON D. TURNER, ELSIE FULLERTON. 

